Strange faces with human features, elongated or crushed bodies: why in medieval manuscripts i cats don’t look like real cats? The particular shapes given to these animals have nothing to do with the personal skill of the authors involved in their creation, but it is a precise choice given by historical symbolism of the cat during the European Middle Ages.
There are several theories on this. The first and most widespread is that, as in other cases in the medieval West, the influence of Catholic Church was important. Before Christianity spread to Europe, cats were much loved: as already happened among the Egyptians – who had elevated them to divinity – even among the ancient Greeks and Romans they were animals appreciated both for their work as hunters of mice and other invasive animals, and for their association with the female world, with freedom, sexuality and independence.
Given pagan symbolism of the cat and its bond with feminine aspects considered unrulyit is very plausible that the medieval Church sought to eliminate it during the process of evangelization and cultural replacement in Europe. The characteristics attributed to the feline – sensuality, independence, ambiguity – were opposed toideal of a Christian woman, docile and puremodeled on the image of the Virgin and strengthened by the tradition ofcourtly love. On the contrary, these traits were associated with the most feared female vices: lust, moral weakness, the tendency to temptation. It is no coincidence that Pope Innocent VIII defined cats as “favorite animals of the devil and companions of witches”.
Numerous superstitions contributed to favoring the demonization of the cat. Besides being linked to heretics and feared for his ability to move in the dark – interpreted as a diabolical powersimilar to the abduction of souls – the feline ended up at the center of confusing beliefs religious fear and social prejudices. In a time when anti-Semitism was deeply rootedthe rumor spread that Jews could change into cats to enter Christian homes and carry out sacrilegious acts, while it was believed that sorcerers and witches raised cats, especially black ones, as their familiars. These ideas, fueled by ignorance and suspicion, consolidated the evil image the animal became target of persecution and cruel ritualsoften justified as acts of purification.
THEMedieval art was fundamentally religiouswas intended to illustrate the most important aspects of Christian teaching and reflect its ideals: among these was the belief, linked to the myth of creation, since it was thought that God had given life to animals so that they would be available to men. If, among many, dogs were symbols of loyalty and value and the ermine of purity, cats essentially became demonic beasts incapable of controlling themselveswith abnormal faces and contorted poses that emphasized their evil.
Another theory, however, holds that cats actually were welcomed and coexisted peacefully with monks and religious people in convents and monasteries. Proof of this is the numerous depictions in manuscripts and the ink prints left by their paws on books. But why then, in many miniatures, do they appear so bizarre? Probably because the scribes tried to attribute human traits to themmaking them more similar to small anthropomorphic figures, in line with medieval symbolism and imagery.
